Paladins (Warcraft)
Paladins are warriors of virtue and goodness, powered by faith in their religion and themselves. Paladins have a vast array of Light-given powers, making them skilled healers and fighters. Paladins were first knighted by the Alliance between the First War and the Second War, when Archbishop Alonsus Faol realized that the Clerics of Northshire had taken far too many casualties and needed too much protection on the field of battle. The greatest knights of Lordaeron formed the Order of the Silver Hand, led by Uther the Lightbringer. The Order was disbanded by Arthas Menethil when they refused to carry out his orders to slay the innocent citizens of Stratholme, but the Paladins who served in it continued their mission even without an official organization. Other races began to adopt the way of the Paladin, and new organizations sprang up around them. The Scarlet Crusade, for instance, became the home of many of the Silver Hand's most zealous Paladins. The rest of the Silver Hand forms into the Argent Dawn, an order built to defend all of Azeroth from the greatest evils that might threaten it. Talents Paladins can generally be divided into three schools: Retribution Paladins, Holy Paladins, and Protection Paladins. Holy Holy Paladins have the strongest faith and are able to invoke their Light-given abilities to bless and heal their allies. Protection Protection Paladins use holy magic to shield themselves and their allies from danger. They are typically also trained in use of a shield, using them both defensively and offensively to great effect. Retribution Retribution Paladins are zealous righteous warriors who judge and punish those they see as evil, using their Light-given powers as the ultimate weapon. Paladin Races Blood Elves As High Elves in the Alliance, the Blood Elves had been exposed to the Knights of the Silver Hand, and soon had a few Paladins of their own amongst those who were faithful to the Holy Light. It was not until Kael'thas Sunstrider sent the Naaru M'uru to the Isle of Quel'Danas, to power the Sunwell, that the Paladins became more widespread. The elves created Blood Knights, who powered their Light-given powers through the energy drained from the Naaru. When the Sunwell was cleansed, the Blood Knights no longer needed a naaru to power themselves, using the holy energy of the Sunwell instead. Notable Blood Elf Paladins: *Lady Liadrin *Lord Solanar Bloodwrath *Magister Astalor Bloodsworn *Knight-Lord Bloodvalor *Mehlar Dawnblade *Lord Sanguinar *The Blood Knight Champion of the Champions of the Horde Dwarves The Ironforge Dwarves, long-time allies of the Humans, were some of the first non-humans to convert to the Church of the Holy Light. As such, they were also among the first to have non-human Paladins. It was, in fact, the Dwarven hammer that became the weapon most commonly used by paladins of the Alliance. Notable Dwarven Paladins: *Mureidon Battleforge *Tiza Battleforge *Cavalier Durkon *Henze Faulk *Narm Faulk *Grumbol Grimhammer *The Dwarf Paladin Champion of the Champions of the Alliance Draenei The Draenei are closer to the light than any other race, it is only through the Light's blessing and the help of the Naaru -- arguably the closest thing to an embodiment of Light that there is -- that the Draenei have survived for millenia despite the best efforts of the Burning Legion. And so, the Hand of Argus was formed of the Light-wielding Draenei Paladins. Notable Draenei Paladins: *Justinius the Harbringer *Falstaav *The Draenei Paladin Champion of the Champions of the Alliance High Elves The High Elves of Azeroth learned of the Holy Light from their Human allies, and have been shown to have Paladins amongst their number even as their population has dramatically declined. Notable High Elf Paladins: *Rulen Lightsreap *Champion Isimode Humans As the founders of the Church of the Holy Light, humans were the first people on Azeroth to have Paladins in their midst. These Paladins were strong of faith and of sword, fighting as the Knights of the Silver Hand in the Second War and even into the Third War. Despite having their initial order dissolved, they have time again proven their heroism and continue spreading their faith. Notable Human Paladins: *Uther the Lightbringer *Arthas Menethil *Lord Grayson Shadowbreaker *Tirion Fordring *Bolvar Fordragon *Brigitte Abbendis *The Human Paladin Champion of the Champions of the Alliance Tauren The Tauren have always revered the balance of the earth. In that balance, some Tauren have recently come to worship An'she, the sun. These Tauren have become known as Sunwalkers and are able to wield powers similar to those of other Light-worshippers. Notable Tauren Paladins: *Aponi Brightmane *The Tauren Paladin Champion of the Champions of the Horde Real World Paladins are a playable class in World of Warcraft. External Links: Wowpedia Category:Paladins Category:Warcraft Classes Paladins (Warcraft) Warcraft